Woman Becomes Overnight Millionaire After Winning Big Off $5 Casino Bet, Gives Thousands Away to Staff The anonymous woman from New Jersey hit the jackpot at Harrah's Atlantic City casino over the weekend -- but she didn't keep all the cash for herself.

By Emily Rella

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

Talk about a little holiday magic!

A New Jersey woman struck gold in Atlantic City by winning a record-breaking prize during a poker game at Harrah's Resort & Casino — and tipped the staff that dealt her the winning hand a massive thank you.

The anonymous 74-year-old woman, who hails from Monmouth County, New Jersey, cashed in on a cool $1.6 million prize after earning a royal flush off of a mere $5 bet during a progressive poker game.

The big win made her payout the highest amount on a progressive poker game that Ceasar's Entertainment group has dealt out in the state.

But the woman didn't take the money and run.

Not only did she tip a jaw-dropping $77,000 to the Harrah's staff to be split among all the dealers, but she doled out a casual $100 to every other gambler who was in the room at the time of her winning, which was at least another 25 people according to NBC10 Philadelphia.

"Most people give tips, but this was jaw-dropping," Harrah's Atlantic City director of table games Michael Zippel gushed in a statement. "Our dealers work hard all year long and truly deserve it."

Perhaps there's a touch of lottery luck lingering in the Garden State.

In October, one corner store in Lyndhurst, New Jersey won a $100,000 bonus for selling a $2.7 million lottery jackpot ticket.

Harrah's Atlantic City is a part of Caesar's Entertainment company, which was down over 55% in a one-year period as of Thursday morning.

Emily Rella

Senior News Writer

Emily Rella is a Senior News Writer at Entrepreneur.com. Previously, she was an editor at Verizon Media. Her coverage spans features, business, lifestyle, tech, entertainment, and lifestyle. She is a 2015 graduate of Boston College and a Ridgefield, CT native. Find her on Twitter at @EmilyKRella.

Want to be an Entrepreneur Leadership Network contributor? Apply now to join.

Business News

Walmart Is Laying Off 1,500 Corporate Employees: 'Reshaping Our Structure'

The layoffs affect Walmart's global technology, advertising, and e-commerce teams.

Buying / Investing in Business

Former Zillow Execs Target $1.3T Market

Co-ownership is creating big opportunities for entrepreneurs.

Side Hustle

She Started a Creative Side Hustle While Working 'Dead-End' Jobs — Then Grew It From $10,000 to Over $50,000 a Month: '[It] Became Magnetic'

Alyssa O'Toole, 35, juggled "mismatched uniforms and odd hours" to turn her passion into a business.

Business News

Bitcoin Just Hit an Eye-Popping Record. Here's How High Experts Think It Could Go: 'Get Ready for a Wild Ride'

Cryptocurrency Bitcoin's price has reached record highs, surging past $111,000.

Business News

Here's How Tariffs Are Affecting Amazon's Prices, According to CEO Andy Jassy

Amazon's CEO spoke at the company's annual shareholder meeting this week.

Business Ideas

70 Small Business Ideas to Start in 2025

We put together a list of the best, most profitable small business ideas for entrepreneurs to pursue in 2025.